First Half Marathon
A note about the insane running experience during the Tuffman Half Marathon
Wakeup Call
At 4.15 AM on 23rd March, I received a phone call from an unknown person who was part of the WhatsApp group called 4 AM club. I woke up to realise that I had missed two alarms.
If not for this call, I might not have woken up in time to reach the venue of Tuffman Gurgaon Half Marathon which was going to start at 5.30 AM. Thankfully I had asked the group members to give me a call at the morning. Someone was kind enough to help me.
Given the narrow entry into Fluor Ericcson Parking space, I had to be there at least by 5 AM. Thankfully, I parked the car and reached the starting line in time.
The Prep
Before the run started I raised my head and looked at the buildings of DLF Cybercity. It is a very cool sight to be honest. I saw the name of the company Axtria (this reference can be understood by only one or two people on earth). I sighed.
I was not sure if I could complete this run within 3 hours 30 minutes.
The lack of surety mostly because I had gained 9 kgs during the last three months. And when I tried running 21k at Nehru park on 14th March, my ankles had given up on me after 16km.
I ended up walking for the last 5 kilometres. It had taken me 3 hours and 46 minutes to complete that run. In any case I was sure that I would get the medal if I completed the run even beyond 3 hours and 30 minutes.
For almost a week before the run, I completed a couple of 12+ hour fasts and attended fitness classes regularly. Due to this I had lost 1.5kg. I ensured that my ankles got enough training as well.
In fact, I asked Grok for an optimal running strategy and it seemed doable. All of this had contributed to a sense that I would do somewhat better on the D-day.
The Annoying Sling Bag
I was wondering if the sling bag given by the organisers would be a good companion. I had kept a few protein bars to keep me energised during the long run. But within 1km I realised that it was sliding from my shoulder and preventing me from running freely.
I folded it up and slid it inside the backside of my shorts. Quite similar to cricketers sliding their caps in their pyjamas. After reaching the first water station I realised that the protein bars were not needed as the organisers had kept fruits, toffees along with water.
Executing Grok’s Strategy
After deep analysis of my 21k which took 3hr 46min, Grok came up with this plan.
Prompt: What should be the running pace for achieving 7km/hr during a 21.1km run considering the general fatigue undergone by the body during the course of the run. Consider a male 5'7'' tall and 80kgs weight.
[Pasting only the last part of the analysis]
To finish 21.1 km at an average of 7 km/h (total time of 3 hours), a negative split (faster early, slower later) is realistic for a recreational runner:
First 10 km: Aim for 8:20–8:25 min/km (faster than average to bank time).
Time for 10 km = ~83–85 minutes.
Next 6 km (10-16 km): Maintain 8:35–8:45 min/km as fatigue sets in.
Time for 6 km = ~51–53 minutes.
Last 5.1 km (16-21.1 km): Allow 8:50–9:00 min/km as energy wanes.
Time for 5.1 km = ~45–46 minutes.
Total time = 83–85 (first 10 km) + 51–53 (next 6 km) + 45–46 (last 5.1 km) = roughly 179–184 minutes, averaging close to 180 minutes (3 hours).
Actual run stats.
Time for the first 10 km: 77 minutes 31 seconds
Time for km 10 to km 16: 48 minutes, 23 seconds
Time for km 16 to km 21: 44 minutes, 43 seconds
I was able to execute this strategy to perfection and complete the run in 2hr 52min. In spite of many hot and macho people running ahead of me, I was able to stick to the plan and get the result I wanted.
Though I don’t want to sound pompous, I could see many people who overtook me in the first part of the run were walking and lagging behind towards the end.
I derived a great deal of joy and satisfaction after accomplishing an audacious goal inspite of having an overweight body at this point. I want to shed the extra 9kg weight during the next three months. Hopefully, this goal will also be achieved successfully.